Definition
What "BOM-linked" means.
A BOM-linked work order reads its materials, parts and quantities directly from the BOM for that product and revision, instead of having them retyped. If the BOM changes, the work order shows it, or flags that it is now out of date.
For made-to-order products, the BOM often differs per job. The link therefore has to work per order, not only per standard product.
Why it matters
Problems it removes.
- Parts or quantities on the work order do not match the latest drawing
- A revision is approved in the office but production already started on the old one
- Material is ordered from one list and cut from another
- Re-entering the same data in the quote, work order and delivery document
- No record of which BOM revision a finished job was built to
Design points
What to include in the design.
- A BOM per job or per product revision, with a clear revision number and date
- Work orders that reference a specific BOM revision and show it on the printout
- Rules for what happens when a BOM changes after release: block, warn, or require approval
- Support for variants and options that change the materials list
- Material and stock links, if you track stock in the same system or in an ERP
- A history of changes and who approved them
Decide early which system owns the BOM. If it lives in your ERP or CAD tool, the work order system should read from it rather than keep its own copy.
Rollout
A practical rollout.
- Pick one product family with a stable BOM structure
- Define how a BOM revision is created, approved and released
- Generate the work order from the released BOM and print it with the revision visible
- Test a mid-job change and confirm the right people are told
- Extend to variants and the rest of your product range
The Profiling phase of the PYES method is where these ownership and revision rules get defined before anything is built.
Frequently asked questions
- Not necessarily. Some workshops keep the BOM in a spreadsheet or CAD export. What matters is that there is one agreed source and the work order reads from it.
- Decide the rule in advance. Common options are to block the change, to flag the work order for review, or to record it as a controlled revision with approval.
- Yes, if the BOM is created per job. The link is to that job's BOM revision rather than to a fixed catalogue item.
- The same BOM data can feed the quote and the delivery document, so the three stay consistent. See our guides on ERP price calculations and delivery dockets.
Getting started
Practical checklist
- Name the system that owns the BOM today
- List how and when a BOM revision gets approved
- Decide what should happen when a BOM changes after release
- Pick one product family to pilot
- Check that the work order printout shows the BOM revision
If you would like to talk it through, you can contact pyes.software. A conversation about your current workflow is the starting point, with no obligation.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or compliance advice.
Related: